February 28, 2012
No challenge?
How boring, how anti-climactic, how pedestrian. The governor won't challenge a single signature out of a million calling for his recall. He will be only the third governor in U.S. history to be recalled.
His excuse for not challenging the signatures? Not enough time! He has raised about 12 million dollars since the recall got underway and the Koch brothers have made it clear that they will support their brave governor financially, so are we to believe that Walker could not afford to hire temps to check ballots? C'mon! This work hardly qualifies as difficult so why no challenge? You know why. The signatures are valid and a challenge would demonstrate just how hollow the GOP verbal assaults have been. Walker figured it out. If only a handful of signatures turned out to be worthy of a challenge he would look silly. So, instead, he comes up with a public relations spin: "not enough time." And he still looks silly.
So now what? Well, the four Republican senators are subject to recall, or so the Dems say. Should a couple of them lose, politics in Wisconsin would possibly return to normalcy. The Democrats would have a majority in the Senate, the Republicans would control the Assembly, and it is better than 50-50 that a Democrat will be elected governor.
Think about it. We could focus on the corruption of the Supreme Court, push public financing of elections, demand an independent DNR, monitor the elections in Waukesha, stop the madness of a proposed 21-mile-long and 4-mile-wide scar on the state to permit aconite mining. (Creation of a lake" with the volume of water equal to Lake Winnebago.) Oh boy! Can you see the sun rising? I can.
NOTE: Joe Gruber gets out of hospital today in Mississippi. Joe will be back in Wisconsin in mid-March. Hooray!
Despite the actions of some lawyers recently, there was a reminder of how some lawyers make us proud to be in the Bar. Jack DeWitt was one of those lawyers. He was a lawyer's lawyer and a good man to boot. Jack passed last week and he will be missed. He called me about once a month to comment on something I had written in the Cap Times. Even if he disagreed with my position, he encouraged me to keep on writing.
I think of Wade Boardman, Henry Field, Bob Curry, Nat Heffernan, John Skilton, Dick Cates, Mark Frankel and many more. Add Jack Dewitt to the lawyer's hall of fame. Attorneys who were committed to the law. Lawyers who made us better citizens. Thanks, Jack, well done.
People's Legislature March 24. Same place, but promise to move it to a more central site next session. Candidates will be asked to refuse PAC, union and corporate money.
In other words, put down the Tin Cup! In fact, the Tin Cup Brigade will be vigilant in keeping the candidates to their promise to run on principle and individual, small in-state donations. We can break the back of big money. You did it with the impossible task of recalling a sitting governor. Next up, the miracle of getting those million + recallers to get-out-the-vote. Are you ready?
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Lol! Yeah sure Ed. That fantasy will happen the same day Bigfoot rides out of the woods on a uicorn.
-SW | Waukesha WI | February 28, 2012
See you on March 24! I believe in miracles. Let real democracy be born! Nothing is more worth working and fighting for.
-Kris Abelmann | Janesville | February 28, 2012
In response to the snarky comments from SW in Waukesha, what happened with those legions of Republican volunteers meeting in Pewaukee to challenge petitions? Seems that was mostly bluff and bluster. That effort clearly didn't live up to its billing.
-Alexander Randall | Waukesha | February 28, 2012
Recently, I heard a pundit posit that a significant difference in the relative influence of the Tea Party and Occupy movements rests in the ability of each to evolve from a 'movement' into an group that can exhibit the ability to capture the imagination of citizens, GOTV, raise funds, organize local committee structures, and command the respect of incumbent politicians. He believed that the Tea Party has evolved to meet with some success on a number of these measures, while the Occupy movement has remained embryonic.
By these measures, the movement to recapture Wisconsin's progressive roots through these recalls has some distinct advantages beneficial to its next steps. Across this state we have seen the demonstrated ability to organize a sustained effort to march, to create a compelling message, to organize at the local level and to gather signatures. A growing number of citizens from varied backgrounds are becoming uncomfortable with the condition of our state and federal governance. There is real and practical potential here.
Will Walker's recall opponent summon the ability to draft a platform with broad appeal? Will a leader who is capable of uncommon integrity rise to guide the evolution of this movement? Will she/he speak to the many moderates of all stripes? Don't be surprised if a progressive message can be felt as compelling from Waukesha County to Dane County. At this moment, this progressive movement can regain momentum.
I hope that this is Wisconsin's time.
-North Woods | Woodruff, WI | February 28, 2012
Sad that the only "lawyers lawyers" you list are men.
-anon | Madison, Wisconsin | February 29, 2012
In response to "North Woods's" comment about hoping this is Wisconsin's time: I think it is OUR job to MAKE it Wisconsin's time.
-Linda Wyeth | Curtiss, WI 54422 | March 2, 2012
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